MAWS
by Dr Death DST
Summary: MAWS, a parody of Jaws. Ashley Williams is sent to deal with a thresher maw terrorizing a moon resort in the Century system. Teaming up with a salty krogan and salarian scientist, she must confront the largest thresher maw ever recorded.
1. Chapter 1

A young turian by the name of Meln sat on the side of a sand dune. Away from home for the first time, he was enjoying the human equivalent of 'spring break'. Several other aliens were doing the same sitting around a campfire, singing, talking, and drinking the night away. During the night an asari had caught his eye.

Meln didn't have much experience with aliens since leaving the turian homeworld Palaven. Still, he found her very attractive despite the odd human-like face. When she asked him to join her on a more remote part of the beach, he didn't hesitate. The asari raced up over the dune wanting him to give chase.

"What's your name again?" asked Meln bounding after her.

"Eria!" she giggled stripping off her clothes.

Despite the trail of clothing, Meln was falling behind. Over the last few hours he had been drinking heavily and tried red sand for the first time. Running got his blood pumping and circulated the drugs to his brain faster. Getting sloppy, he blurted, "Where are we going?"

"To the volcanic sand," said Eria running naked into an endless sea of sparkling black sand.

They were located on a small moon resort called Amity. It was anchored to the planet Tharopto in the Century system. A super volcano had created a vast ocean of ultra fine sand. It's quality was like powder and was quickly becoming a top tourist destination. The fine sand was bordered by rock and thicker grains of sand typically found on most moons. This allowed developers to put up stable buildings.

Eria slowly sank into the dark powder up to her waist and kept trudging further out away from the resort. The more compact sand underneath kept her from sinking up to her head. Looking over her shoulder she shouted back to Meln, "Come on out here!"

"Take it easy," murmured Meln sitting down on the dune again. The red sand he ingested earlier was taking affect. Slowly he started to lose consciousness.

Continueing on, Eria snuggled into the sand. During the day the sand captured heat from Century's sun. It felt good against her bare skin and was noted to be therapeutic. Although it would be more fun if that turian hadn't passed out on her. She gazed up at the night sky and the large red planet looming overhead.

A light vibration deep underground disturbed Eria. She could sense something large moving around yet she couldn't see it. The vibrations became stronger sending the asari into a panic. Struggling in the waist high sand she tried in vain to run back to the 'beach'.

Bursting up from the sand was the largest thresher maw Eria had ever seen. It roared, opening its big flourescent mouth. She screamed trying desperately to escape but there was no out running the beast. The maw spit a glob of toxic mucus onto the asari burning and melting her skin.

"Ah! Help me! Help!" Eria thrashed around in intense pain as her skin bubbled and dropped from her flesh. The thresher maw moved in swallowing her whole before disappearing below the sand.

/

"More colonist duty?" sighed Ashley Williams sitting down at her desk on the Citadel.

"You want to be a Specter don't you?" said Chancellor Udina in his usual harsh tone. "You're the new face of humanity. You need to show the other races that you can get the job done."

"Yeah." Ashley exhaled sharply in annoyance. "Just like I got the job done on Horizon?"

"Shepard betrayed us when he joined Cerberus. You're the one we need now." Udina dropped a dossier on Ashley's desk detailing the mission for Amity.

"What if Shepard really is right? The reapers could be behind the attacks..."

Udina slammed his fist down on her desk. "Damn it Williams, the reapers are a myth!"

Ashley became quiet but stared back at Udina seething. Everything had changed so drastically in the last two years. The reapers had become an unspeakable word. No one in the Alliance was willing to look into it. She could at least take comfort in knowing Shepard was out there doing what he could.

Picking up the dossier, Ashley glanced over the description. Feeling irritated, she said, "A thresher maw attack? That's why I'm going? This is grunt work. Send a squad of marines."

"There are politcal implications here Williams," began Udina. "Amity is close to the Terminus systems, plus it's a multispecies moon. I don't want Alliance forces running around down there. People might think we're posturing for war. That's why you need to go. Plus you have experience dealing with these creatures."

Ashley rolled her eyes but he was right. While working with Shepard they had taken down dozens of thresher nests. This should prove to be a piece of cake. A section of the dossier caught her eye prompting her to ask, "I'm working with a salarian and a krogan?"

"Admiral Anderson selected them to help you. They will meet you at the hotel on Amity. The krogan appearently has his own vehicle. All you need to do is be there and take credit for it," explained Udina.

Before Ashley could ask him anything else he left. Leaning back in her chair she stared up at the ceiling. If doing this meant gaining Specter status then it would be well worth the trouble. Then maybe she could go find Shepard on her own.

A/N: Thanks for reading. This is just for shits and giggles so chapters will be slow to publish.


	2. Chapter 2

Ashley arrived at the Amity moon resort via a civilian shuttle. While flying in, she could see much of the surface was bare mountainous rock. Not at all different from the planets she had explored with Shepard while chasing Saren. The only outstanding feature was the vast landscape of volcanic sand. The sparkling black sand covered a circular area about nine hundred miles wide. Finding the maw wouldn't be easy.

The resort itself, however, was beautiful. Fauna had been imported from exotic places like Illium. An assortment of flowers lined the sidewalks and balconies. Trees dotted the various green gardens around the hotel. A line of attractive asari greeted the passengers as they entered the fifteen story hotel. Even Ashley had to appreciate their charm.

For the first time in a long time, Ashley was wearing a dress. Udina insisted that she not draw attention by wearing armor. Not that it would do much good against a maw anyway. The dress had an open back and stopped just above the knees. The front was a little more conservative showing a small amount of cleavage. The cool air brushed softly against her exposed skin making her feel awkward. Going from military fatigues to a dress was an uncomfortable change.

Stepping into the lobby, she was greeted by a richly dressed volus. "Welcome Miss Williams. We've been (inhale) expecting you. I'm Vauhn Mot. I'm the general manager (inhale) of this resort. How was your flight?"

"It was nice," said Ashley shaking the volus' hand. "Tell me about your thresher maw problem."

Vauhn chuckled nervously looking around at the other guests. None of them seemed to have heard her. "Let's discuss this (inhale) in my office. I wouldn't call it a (inhale) problem."

Ashley followed the volus to a spacious office located on the top floor of the hotel. The center was occupied by a large desk with two plush chairs in front. Pictures of the resort's construction lined the walls as well as an encrypted safe. The back wall was one giant window looking down on a swimming pool and spa. Everything about the room had a tropical feel.

"Make yourself comfortable Miss Williams," said Vauhn sitting down behind his desk.

"Please, just call me Ashley," she said, taking a seat on one of the soft chairs.

An asari entered the room wearing an expensive looking purple dress. The garment exposed much of the asari's torso and legs. Sitting down next to Ashley, she smiled saying, "Hello, I'm Nyala. I'm one of the share holders for this resort."

"The largest share holder," added Vaugn.

"I'm gunnery chief Williams. You can call me Ashley."

Nyala continued smiling meeting Ashley's eyes, "Vauhn runs the show here but I'm technically the owner. I obviously have an interest in what you're planning to do here."

"I'll probably have to close the resort until we can kill the thresher," suggested Ashley.

Vauhn and Nyala exchanged concerned looks. Vauhn spoke first, "We haven't officially opened. These past weeks we've only been 'testing the waters' (inhale) so to speak. Opening day is tomorrow and we can't afford the publicity of a (inhale) thresher maw attack."

Nyala put a hand softly on Ashley's wrist saying, "People tend to react poorly to these situations. You yell 'varren', everybody says 'huh, what?' You yell 'thresher maw', and we've got a panic on our hands on opening day."

"So why did you even contact the Alliance?" asked Ashley becoming mistrustful of the two aliens. "Sounds like you don't want me to do anything."

Vauhn stood up from his chair walking over to the window looking out over the landscape. "Pieces of a young asari were found in our soon-to-be famous black sand. (Inhale) The turian she was with said he 'thought' he saw a thresher maw."

"The poor boy was messed up on red sand," said Nyala with a careless laugh.

"We want you to go look for this 'maw' (inhale) if one even exists," explained Vauhn watching the guests swim. "And deal with it."

Nyala moved her hand from Ashley's wrist to her thigh massaging it lightly. She said, "In the meantime Miss Williams I suggest you enjoy your stay here. Perhaps I'll see you at our club tonight?"

Ashley blushed deeply then gently pushed Nyala's hand from her leg saying, "Doubtful. I'm supposed to meet a salarian and a krogan here."

"Oh yes..." said Vauhn sitting down again. "The salarian arrived yesterday. He's down in the basement (inhale) studying what's left of the body. Juran, I think his name was. He'll be at the club tonight for our (inhale) pre-opening day party."

"The krogan hasn't arrived yet. Can't say I look forward to it. Despicable race if you ask me." Nyala turned a cold gaze toward Ashley feeling sore from her denial.

"Do you have a room available?" Ashley asked, ignoring the miffed asari.

"Of course, we have one reserved for you (inhale) on the house," explained Vauhn, "Just check in at the front desk."

Ashley went to leave but was stopped when Nyala spoke up, "Please remember to not speak of this matter to any of the guests."

Responding with a simple nod of acknowledgment, Ashley left the room. After the door closed Nyala turned to Vauhn. Her cold executive smile returned. "Nice ass on that one."

"I wouldn't know (inhale), never cared for humans myself," sighed Vauhn.

"A quarian would more likely suit you. Ha! _Suit_," giggled Nyala.


	3. Chapter 3

Night had fallen over the resort and the black sands were alive with guests. None of them knew anything of the thresher maw attack weeks earlier. A live techno band, Expel 10, was playing on stage near the sand. The real celebration, however, would start tomorrow on the official opening day.

Ashley was busy getting ready for the party going on in the hotel's club. She walked out of the bathroom followed by a haze of steam from her recent hot shower. The towel fell casually from her naked body as she dug around her seabag for some underwear. Looking over at a picture of Shepard on the night stand, she smiled thinking of their first night together.

On the bed lay a long dark blue dress. Putting it on proved to be a hassle. She nearly dislocated her arm trying to zip up the back. Seeing it was a strapless dress, she knew half the night would be spent pulling up the front. On top of that, the slit on the side was cut a little too high for her liking. The torso was very snug accenting her hips, undoubtedly designed that way.

The dress had been delivered to her room from Nyala. A note informed her that the party was formal wear only. For a moment, Ashley considered not going. What else was there to do? Might as well try to enjoy her time on this rock. For tonight, she let her dark brown hair hang down around her shoulders. Before heading out the door she put on some heels and a couple sprays of perfume. She didn't plan on hooking up with anyone but still wanted to look presentable.

The club downstairs was dimly lit. Loud music vibrated the very air and drowned out conversation. A light haze of cigarette smoke difted along the ceiling. When cancer was cured, cigarettes had become fasionable again. Investors, minor celebrities, and politicians of all races danced together on the open floor. More than a few asari were present in skimpy dresses. Most likely they were being paid to just be there.

Ashley headed straight for the bar on the far side taking a seat. A turian bartender came by giving her a knowing nod. She said, "White russian."

"I don't know that one," he said. His mandibles twitched in an expression of confusion.

"Kaluha, vodka, and a dash of creamer," explained Ashley. Drinking at non-human bars was a pain in the ass. The turian gave her a funny look but went looking for the ingredients. It wasn't long before he returned with the mocha colored drink. "How much?"

"On the house..." The bartender smiled and pointed out into the dance floor, "That woman over there, Nyala, told me that your drinks are on her tab."

Ashley turned in her seat to see Nyala dancing with a turian and another human. The asari noticed her and winked seductively. Ashley turned back around and sipped gingerly on her drink. This wasn't the first time she had been hit on by an asari but it still made her uncomfortable.

"Are you Chief Williams?" asked a strange voice.

"Yes," Ashley looked to see a salarian take a seat next to her. "You must be Juran."

"You are correct. Humans are so diverse in hair, eyes, and shape that it wasn't hard to find you," said Juran with a friendly grin. His skin was grey with dark orange tatoos around his chin and eyes. The salarian looked a little funny wearing a tuxedo which seemed to be of human design. "That's an old drink you have there."

"Can salarians digest human food?" asked Ashley as she gently swirled the liquid around.

"Yes, it's just the turians and quarians you have to look out for. In some cases the krogan too. Although I wouldn't suggest eating anything they would consider edible," explained Juran. The turian came by taking his order then shortly poured him a flourescent purple drink. Juran went on, "I studied for a time on Earth. Student exchange program. To help pay for college I became a bartender."

"Interesting..." murmured Ashley drinking a little faster. "What were you able to find out about our friend? The maw I mean."

"Only bits and pieces were left..." began Juran. A disturbed look came across his face. "Judging by the acid and toxins left on the tissue... this creature is unlike any thresher maw I've heard of. If the nest was located where the victim died then we would have a lot more deaths on our hands. This maw must be moving freely among the volcanic sands. Strange behavior indeed."

"I just want to kill it and get off this rock," grumbled Ashley finishing her drink.

"When humans say things like that I wonder if it was a mistake letting them join the council," said Juran plainly.

Anger filled Ashley upon hearing that. "Listen jackass, I've seen everything humanity has done for the rest of the galaxy first hand. You wouldn't even be here if not for Shepard and me."

"Ah yes, you mean stopping the Geth attack on the Citadel," said Juran smugly. "Don't try to pass off that garbage about reapers on me Williams."

"You weren't there so what the hell do you know?" snorted Ashley.

Nyala sauntered over to Ashley in time to hear her exchange with Joran. Deciding to intervene, she stepped in between them and placed a hand on Ashley's bare shoulder caressing it. "Forget about this over educated prick. Come dance with me."

"Alright," said Ashley without hesitation. It wasn't something she had in mind. Getting away from Joran before popping him in the jaw was more important.

Joran didn't say a word as Nyala led Ashley by the hand over to the dance floor. He never subscribed to conspiracy theories without substantial proof. Being blunt about such subjects often earned him the ire of many people.

"I haven't danced in a while," warned Ashley. Standing in the middle of the packed floor felt awkward. The last time she danced was back on Eden Prime before Shepard even arrived. 'Shepard' she thought. 'I never got the chance to show him my moves'

"As long as you don't stand there like an elcor you'll be fine," smiled Nyala.

For a time they danced separately. Ashley made some clumsy half steps until she became comfortable. Before long she was moving in a nice fluid motion along to the heavy techno beat. The latest dance craze involved a lot of thrusting your arms into the air or out to the side. This of course posed the risk of getting punched in the face. Through out the galaxy dancing seemed to have become something only women practiced at. Looking around the floor Ashley noticed how most of the men were only shuffling their feet.

An hour and several drinks later, Ashley was still at it. Nyala was never more than a few feet away. Both women had developed a light sweat as did everyone else. More people were starting to fill the floor pushing those already on closer together. Nyala seized the opportunity to take Ashley by the hips and draw her in. Their bodies occasionally brushed together much to the asari's delight. In the past few years Ashley had learned to get over her xenophobia and simply indulged Nyala. The alcohol also helped a great deal with that.

"I'm glad you came out tonight," said Nyala in Ashley's ear. The music made conventional conversation nearly impossible. "You look really sexy in that dress."

"Uh, thanks," smiled Ashley, unsure of just how much she should indulge the asari. "You look really, nice, too."

Nyala moved in even closer so that they were cheek to cheek dancing sensually together. Ashley's eyes darted around to see if anyone was looking. Everyone else was too busy trying not to look stupid while dancing. In this age, seeing an asari with a female human seemed to be fairly common.

"Have you heard anything from the krogan yet?" asked Ashley in a weak attempt to keep things professional.

"Nope," said Nyala plainly. She stayed in step with Ashley keeping her very close. A small grin of amusement crept onto her face as she sensed the human's uneasiness. Putting her lips to Ashley's ear she whispered, "I've got his dossier in my room if you want to see it."

"Sounds good to me," said Ashley following Nyala out from the dance floor. Leaving the club left Ashley feeling chilled. The air conditioning hit her damp skin like ice. Drinking and dancing had raised her body heat creating a false sense of being cold.

Nyala's room was located on the top floor in the back corner of the building. It had a balcony that overlooked the volcanic sands as well as the outdoor party. The room was rectangular in shape containing a small kitchen, office, bedroom, and bathroom. Everything was furnished to appear elegant and wealthy. Overhead the ceiling was completely made of glass giving a full view of the stars. The room would rival the apartments on the Citadel's presidium.

"Do you live here?" asked Ashley as she took in the room.

Supressing a small laugh, Nyala answered, "No, I have a large estate on Thessia. I just use this place when I'm here on business. I like to have the best... and I always get the best." Nyala let her hand slide across Ashley's lower back as she spoke.

Ashley was too awe-struck by the room to notice Nyala's hand. Instead she went further into the extravagant room heading for the balcony. The nearby planet lit up the sands causing them to sparkle like a reflection of the stars above. The people below on the rocky part of the ground seemed to be having a lot of fun. It made Ashley wish she had more time for these sort of things.

"Here, I made us some drinks," said Nyala handing over a mixed concoction of flourescent fluids.

Ashley sipped the drink then grimaced. The taste was very strong. "What is this stuff?"

"Ethereal, it's from the asari homeworld. I like to close the night with one of these," explained Nyala. She eyed Ashley's body for a moment before taking a step behind her.

"It's not bad. Do you..." Ashley paused when she felt Nyala kiss her bare left shoulder. "Have the dossier?"

"His name is Korik," answered Nyala. She gently brushed Ashley's hair off to one side exposing her neck. Tactfully she placed another kiss where the neck meets the collar bone. "He's a commercial hunter, specializing in thresher maws. He'll be here in the morning."

"You could've told me that downstairs," sighed Ashley. The alcohol was coursing its way through her veins causing her to feel warm and fuzzy. For a moment she thought of the asari scientist, Alenia, whom she met a year ago aboard the Isandlwana. After a hard fought battle against an unknown alien species they had shared a special moment together. However, that was under extraordinary circumstances.

Nyala continued her advances pressing her lips to Ashley's neck. Moving up to her ear she nibbled on it whispering, "I know, I just wanted to get you into my room."

Ashley was getting goosebumps but knew she had to put an end to it. Especially when she felt Nyala pulling at her dress's zipper. Before she could say anything; the roar of a thresher maw came in from the black sands. People started screaming and running towards the hotel. Ashley sprung into action leaving Nyala behind.

Kicking her heels off in the process, Ashley took the stairs bounding over several steps. Reaching the bottom floor she ran for the nearest exit. Now she was glad for the dress being cut high in the legs as it allowed her to sprint without restriction. Aliens were pouring into the hotel from the outdoor portion. Most were hysterical, crying, or injured from being trampled or getting hit by the maw's toxic acid.

A turian guard was standing by looking confused. He undoubtedly didn't think he'd ever have to use the M-8 Avenger in his hands. Ashley relieved him of the weapon by snatching it while on the run. Reaching the top of a rocky dune, she could see a large shadowy figure moving fast through the sand. Some nearby asari were pointing at it full of horror.

Ashley didn't get a good look at the thresher before it went under but this maw had her full attention now. Hopelessly she fired a few shots where the maw had disappeared. Even if it reappeared, an assault rifle might as well be a water gun. The turian guard ran up behind her looking over the sands for the maw. Disgusted with how helpless she felt; Ashley handed the weapon back to the guard. Tomorrow morning she was going to take that maw down.

A/N: Like I've said, this is all for shits and giggles so there will be gratuitous moments of Ashley being sexy. Alenia, is an OC from my Mass Aliens fanfic. It's a crossover with the Aliens franchise. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning Ashley got down to business. After shaking off her hangover, she dressed herself in a casual pair of jeans and a black N7 t-shirt. It had belonged to Shepard but it shrank in the dryer. Even for Ashley it was a bit small which allowed her to show off a couple inches of her stomach. Just as she was about to start cleaning her assault rifle; a knock on the door interrupted her.

Answering the door, Ashley saw Nyala standing there wearing the same clothes as the night before. She appeared to have been crying recently as her eyes were red and puffy. Her voice was shaky as she spoke, "I'm ruined. If you can't kill that monster then the hotel will be forced to shut down."

"It will be okay," said Ashley with a grimace. Seeing the asari exec on the verge of tears made her feel awkward.

"Korik arrived a few hours ago. He's in the maintenance garage taking stock of his equipment," explained Nyala. "It's in the basement of the hotel."

"I'll go meet him now. Does Joran know?" asked Ashley.

"Not yet."

"Try not to worry. I'm sure we'll take that thing down," said Ashley placing a hand on Nyala's shoulder.

"I know you will do your best." Nyala managed to smile briefly. "I'll let you get to work."

Ashley watched Nyala leave before getting Joran on the room's comms device. It displayed a holograph of Joran as she spoke to him. She instructed him to meet her down in the maintenance garage. Hopefully this krogan would be level headed like Wrex.

"I hate krogans," stated Joran as he walked with Ashley in a service tunnel leading to the garage.

"I'm sure he'll be fond of you too," smirked Ashley. Working with two aliens predisposed to hate each other over the genophage would only add to the challenge.

The tunnel opened up to a fifty yard square room containing several vehicles. Most were small four person dune crawlers. In the center sat a vehicle resembling the M35 Mako. Except this vehicle was twice the width and length of the Mako. The back half was an open deck while the front remained enclosed. A turret was mounted on top of the closed section. It's cannon was about nine feet long. The body of the vehicle was supported by six bulky black tires.

A krogan stepped out onto the back deck of the vehicle. He had dark yellow skin with red eyes. The boney crown that made up the top of his head was black. Upon spotting Ashley and Joran he asked in a deep gruff voice, "You must be the two aliens I'm babysitting on this trip."

"I'm Operations Chief Williams from the Alliance..."

"I know who you are," said Korik quickly.

Ashley could already tell she was going to butt heads with this krogan. "So this is your vehicle..."

"That's right. Model M50 Tiger. Alliance stopped making them ten years ago. At two thousand credits a day I can guarantee the Alliance a thresher maw corpse. Of course, I get ten thousand once the job is done," chuckled Korik. Turning his attention to Juran, he asked, "What's with the tadpole?"

"My name is Joran. I'm a thresher maw expert. I studied on Earth..."

"Listen," Korik cut Joran off, "I'm not going out there to do studies or sight seeing. I'm actually working for a living here. I'm here to hunt."

Joran shot back, "And I'm not here to shoot some poor varren or pyjak. I'm here to find the largest thresher maw on record."

Korik jumped down from his vehicle and gave the salarian an agrivated look. "Give me your hands." Korik grabbed Joran's hands roughly looking them over. Leaning in close he spoke to the salarian in a menacing tone, "Varren, pyjaks? Listen to me boy, all of the schooling in the galaxy can't prepare you to face down a maw. Your hands are soft Joran, you've been banking creds all your life."

Joran pulled away from Korik angrily spouting, "Hey, I don't need this! I don't need this working class hero crap!"

Ashley stepped in saying, "You're not going to act like this while we're out there, are you?"

"Maybe I should do this by myself," grunted Korik.

"It's my mission," said Ashley firmly.

"Yeah, it's your mission but it's my vehicle. You want to come along, you follow my lead," said Korik getting near Ashley's face.

"Are we done here?" Ashley didn't back down.

"Yeah, take the salarian for bait Chief," smirked Korik.

Hours later the trio were preparing to take off for the black sands. Joran had a wide array of materials and equipment spread out on a table. Another salarian stood by reading off a check list. Some of the items included vibration monitors, various sedatives, and a harpoon like device.

Korik walked by and seemed to be in a better mood. As he passed he scoffed, "What are you? Some kind of half-assed colonist?" A loud obnoxious laugh followed suit.

Ashley was up on the M50 Tiger putting her seabag away. The interior of the enclosed section was furnished with a tiny table and a couch that doubled as a bed. The worn out cushions suggested that Korik slept there often. It made Ashley wish the Normandy carried this model instead of the Mako.

"Don't worry chief, I've got condoms in one those compartments," chuckled Korik as he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Ashley didn't respond. She shuddered to think of being stuck with this crude krogan for the next few days. At least she wouldn't be totally alone. Although Joran was hardly comforting company. She tried stuffing her bag under the couch but it wouldn't quite fit. Korik grabbed the bag with one hand and swung it casually into an overhead cargo net.

"Thanks," said Ashley begrudgingly.

Korik brushed by her without saying a word. He didn't much care for working with aliens. Ashley was just some extraterrestrial eye candy to him and the salarian was a snack if they broke down out there. His crude manerisms helped deal with that. While doing a systems check at the drivers seat he began singing a rhyme, "Here lies the asari Marie, lived to the age of five hundred and three, for fifty years she kept her virginity, not a bad record for this vicinity. Ha ha."

Ashley shook her head but couldn't help smiling at his ability to say anything. This was going to be a long trip. When Joran loaded up his equipment, they took off for the black sands. Somewhere out there, the thresher maw was waiting for them.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I had almost forgotten about this story until mcknight wrote a review. Banged this out at two in the morning. Will this end just like Jaws? I don't know. I don't want to do a twist ending or stray too far from the movie. I'll think of something when the time comes.

No, Ashley is not going to hook up with Korik if you were wondering. Although it did cross my mind... no, it's too ridiculous. Maybe one night I'll get drunk then write a pwp pairing her with Wrex. I'm sure it's been done somewhere on the net. Might as well since Bioware pairs her up with Joker at the end of ME3. (Dr Death shakes his fist up at the sky) Undoubtedly my deviant side will give way and there will be some sexual tension.


	5. Chapter 5

Ashley stood on the back deck of the M50 Tiger watching the hotel resort slowly fade from view. The large vehicle cut through the sparkling black sand in a fluid motion. Certainly a relief from the tumbling Mako. The sun overhead was hot causing heat waves to rise up all around them. The sand seemed so peaceful. It was hard to believe a dangerous thresher maw lurked somewhere out there.

"We'll need to lure him in," said Joran, walking up behind Ashley. He held a device in his hands that resembled an old pineapple grenade. A box of them sat at his feet.

"What's that?" asked Ashley pointing to the device.

"A vibrator."

Ashley snorted with laughter.

"What? It's a common X2 grenade also known as a vibrator," Joran was confused as to why the human found the name funny.

"Forget it, it's a human thing," said Ashley quickly.

Giving her an annoyed look, Joran explained how the device worked, "You activate it by pressing this button here. Then you simply throw it out into the sand. What ever you do, don't hold on to it. The vibration this mechanism puts out will rupture the blood vessels in your brain."

"That's some fancy equipment you've got there Joran," said Korik stepping out from the enclosed section. "Not sure if I want something like that rattling around my vehicle."

"It's perfectly safe. I've used them to get close to thresher maws before," said Joran. In turn, he activated the X2 then threw it about twenty yards. A short moment later a shock wave eminated from the sand even shaking the vehicle.

"How far can you throw one of those Chief?" asked Korik.

"I don't know, probably forty or fifty yards," answered Ashley as she picked one up. The weight was around three pounds.

"Then I want you throwing them," said Korik slapping her on the back heartily. "Skinny here might drop one on the deck."

"I can handle myself," grunted Joran.

At that moment Ashley realized the vehicle was still moving despite no one driving it. "Who's driving?"

"It's on auto-pilot. I have a course plotted out. Otherwise I'd be stuck in that seat all day sweating my quad off," laughed Korik.

"So what's our plan once we do find it?" asked Ashley.

"Kill it," scoffed Korik.

"I mean specifically how are we going to kill it? Drive circles around it and shoot it to death?"

"That is one way... but crude," said Joran.

"Not to mention amature," grunted Korik. "I have a chain that I drag behind the Tiger. The maw will bite the end and get hooked, like a fish."

"What do you use for bait?" asked Joran.

"Varren meat, or salarians. Whatever I can find," grinned Korik. "After hooking one I can keep it in place above ground then blast the bastard with my cannon."

"Won't we get hit by acid if we're chained to the maw?" said Ashley with a smirk.

"The armor on this baby can withstand a dozen acid attacks. I'm not even worried about it," said Korik with an air of pride.

"So what do we do now?" asked Ashley.

"Start throwing out those X2s," ordered Korik. "The sooner we kill it the sooner we get paid."

Ashley activated the grenade in her hand. Arching her arm back, she lobbed it about forty-five yards. A few seconds later the X2 went off creating a ripple effect in the sand. "How long should I keep this up?"

"Until we find it... I'm going to set the chain. Joran, I want you to keep an eye on the radar. It's next to the steering collumn. Don't touch anything else!" barked Korik. He went to a floor compartment on the rear deck. Opening it, he pulled out a large heavy spindle of thick chain. Setting the chain on the back of the Tiger, he bolted it down. A wicked looking hook dangled from one end of the chain.

"Is that really going to penetrate a maw?" asked Ashley giving the krogan a concerned look.

"Maws are all soft on the inside. Once it swallows the hook, it won't come out. Trust me." Korik went back and opened a second compartment. A foul odor filled the air making Ashley want to vomit. Korik held up the rotting corpse of a varren then brought it over to the back. He jammed the hook down the varren's throat making sure it was stuck fast. With a loud grunt he tossed it off the back sending the chain reeling.

"How long has that thing been fermenting in there?" Ashley tossed another X2 out while fighting her own nausia.

"A month or so. The more it smells the more likely the maw will chase after it. They can smell you know," said Korik.

"I guess I won't be putting on any perfume," grimaced Ashley. It was bad enough that thresher maws could sense where they were by vibration.

Hours passed and nothing had happened. Ashley stayed on the back deck with Korik exchanging war stories. Before hunting thresher maws professionally Korik had appearently been a mercenary. When she asked why he changed careers; Korik became quiet. Ashley filled him in on her time with Commander Shepard as they saved the galaxy. Meanwhile, Joran was preoccupied reading an extranet article on the state of Haestrom's sun.

"The first maw I killed was on Tuchanka. I was just a welp then..." chuckled Korik. "Part of my rite of passage. Shit, that was what? Seven hundred years ago? No one had done that before. You're supposed to just survive the experience. Since then, someone else did it too. Wrex I think his name was," explained Korik.

Ashley perked up upon hearing the name. "I served with Wrex." She had no idea the krogan had killed a maw one on one. It made her regret not talking to him more when she had the chance.

Before Korik could say anything the chain began racing off the spindle. Quickly he shouted to Joran, "Stop the vehicle!"

Joran jumped into the drivers seat slamming on the breaks. Ashley went tumbling backward to the deck. Korik held his ground watching as the chain continously unrolled until it reached the maximum length of two hundred yards. The spindle held fast to the chain but the bolts keeping it attached to the Tiger were begining to creak and bend.

"Looks like we've got it!" shouted Korik as he went into the closed portion of the Tiger. A computer station near the steering wheel allowed him to take control of the turret.

"I don't think so..." said Joran. The Tiger wasn't being pulled backward nor was the maw making an appearence. "We've latched onto a boulder under the sand."

"Joran! If you don't want to walk back I suggest you come over here and tell me what's on the radar," growled Korik. His eyes narrowed on the target screen in front of him.

"Fine, you don't want to take my advice then don't take it," scoffed Joran. "I'm telling you it's not a thresher maw."

"What else could be straining that chain like that?" spouted Ashley. She desperately wanted it to be the thresher maw so she could get back to the Citadel.

A loud snap caused everyone to turn toward the rear. The spindle rocked back and forth as some force pulled on the chain. Finally, the bolts gave way as the spindle was ripped from the back of the Tiger leaving a jagged hole.

Korik got up from the targeting computer staring out at where the spindle had been. A look of disbelief covered his face. Turning to Joran, he said, "A boulder? Ripped that spindle off my vehicle? Don't you ever question me again."

"That doesn't prove a damned thing," mumbled Joran.

"Well it proves one thing Joran," sneered Korik, "It proves you salarians aren't smart enough to admit when you're wrong."

Ashley looked out over the sand watching for the thresher maw to appear. Nothing but silence filled the air. No vibrations, no shifting sand, nothing. Facing her alien companions, she asked, "Now what?"

"Now we do it the old fashion way," chuckled Korik, "I hope driving in circles doesn't make you sick."

A/N: Things will get pretty interesting next chapter. I've got it mapped out well enough in my head so it shouldn't take long to write it.


	6. Chapter 6

Later in the day Ashley had given up on finding the maw. Seeing no reason to waste what sun light was left, she laid down on the back deck in a bikini. Out in the middle of the glittering sand the sun felt more intense on her skin. At least now the mission felt like a semi-vacation. However, the large jagged hole in the back was a constant reminder of what awaited them. So she closed her eyes and tried to nap.

Korik came out of the enclosed section of the Tiger. He held a heavy shotgun over one shoulder as he looked out over the sand. Never had a thresher maw been so elusive. Usually it was difficult to shake the bastards. Still, there was nothing wrong with a challenge. Eventually his eyes drifted over to Ashley's body where he studied her for a moment. Her soft features puzzled him. It wasn't out of lust as much as simple curiosity. Speaking bluntly he said, "Humans are weird."

"Weird?" Ashley smirked without opening her eyes. "Kinda funny coming from someone who resembles a dinosaur."

"What the hell is a dinosaur?" grunted Korik, assuming it was some sort of derogatory term. Dismissing it, he went on talking, "You know, I had a human female once."

"You don't say..." mumbled Ashley, afraid of where this conversation was going.

"Didn't last long," stated Korik staring back out at the endless sand.

"Why?" asked Ashley sitting up.

"Doesn't matter, you should get back to throwing those X2s," ordered Korik.

"Why not let Joran have a turn?" she whined.

"Joran's working on some contraption. Said it's supposed to help keep the maw above ground," explained Korik.

When the krogan went back inside Ashley muttered, "God damn it."

First she pulled on a t-shirt before grabbing the box of X2s from a floor compartment. The muscles in her throwing arm were already sore from earlier. Picking one up, she threw it angrily. It went off at an angle sending sand jetting up into the air. "Working on some device..." she grumbled. Picking up another she threw it with excessive force. "I've got a device for you. Why don't you come over and chuck some of this shit?"

A very large thresher maw burst upward from the sand about fifty yards from where Ashley stood. It roared while facing her direction before quickly disappearing under the sand. It was twice the size of any she and Shepard had faced. Utterly stunned, she backed up into the Tiger's interior where Korik was busy tweaking the radar. "You're going to need a bigger gun."

The seriousness in her voice caught Korik and Joran's attention. They got up to go see what she was talking about. Then they saw it. Spike like fins poked up from the sand as the maw began encircling the vehicle. Through the tremors transmitted from the sand the maw displaced they could sense its shear force and weight.

"That's gotta be a three hundred footer," said Joran in awe of the massive beast.

"Three hundred fifty, seventy tons of him," corrected Korik.

"What are we going to do? There's no way we can take that down without more firepower," said Ashley as she searched for her pants.

Despite the obvious danger, Joran's scientific side got the better of him. He climbed around the front of the Tiger clamouring with excitement as he took pictures with his omni-tool, "Just look at it! There's no other maw like this on record!"

"Ashley, get behind the wheel and get us moving," ordered Korik with a calm tone that expressed his experience under such circumstances.

"Got it." Ashley jumped into the driver's seat and slammed the accelerator forward. The worst thing they could do when faced with a maw was to sit still. Through the large plate glass she could see Joran sitting on the nose of the Tiger gushing over the thresher maw. Sliding the glass open, she yelled out to him, "What are you doing? Get in here!"

"No one at the academy is going to believe this," smiled Joran as he recorded the maw moving swiftly through the sand easily keeping pace with the Tiger.

A loud explosion startled Ashley but it was only Korik firing the mass accelerator. A round slammed into the backside of the thresher maw causing it to sink deeper into the sand until they couldn't see it. Suddenly it appeared again on the opposite side still moving along with their vehicle. Korik turned the cannon around but the maw dived down again.

Frustrated, Korik yelled at Joran, "Is that device ready to use or what? Stop screwing around and get in here!"

As a salarian, Joran was skinny enough to crawl in through the window Ashley opened. Heading over to the small table, he grabbed what looked like a closed umbrella with a steel spike on the end. Quickly he explained, "I can insert this harpoon into the cannon. A bag attached to the shaft will inflate with hydrogen once it's under the maw's skin. The uncomfortable feeling will force the maw to 'beach' itself above ground."

"Great! Now just put it to use already," snarled Korik as he tried to locate the maw.

"Just don't fire that thing while I'm up there," warned Joran before going to the top of the turret.

"I think I see it," said Ashley. The maw's spikes began to break the surface as it raced along side them. Suddenly it cut them off nearly ramming into the Tiger. Ashley made a sharp left avoiding the maw's body.

"Keep her steady," growled Korik as he swirled the cannon around. "Joran! Is the harpoon ready? Hurry it up will ya?"

"Hold on," muttered Joran as he struggled to make the harpoon fit. It wasn't designed specifically for this type of weapon but it would work if only he could force it into the gun's barrel.

As the maw reared it's large head Ashley became impatient, "Shoot it, now Korik! Kill it!"

Finally Joran managed to twist the harpoon's rod into the gun barrel. As soon as it slid into place he shouted down to Korik, "Shoot."

Korik fired but the maw was already on its way back down. The harpoon struck the maw in its mid-section. A whistling noise eminated from the lodged harpoon as hydrogen from an internal cannister filled the air bag. However, Korik wasn't pleased with his shot. "What the hell are you doing up there? I could've gotten a clean shot right in the head!"

The thresher maw continued to attempt to cut off the Tiger by racing ahead then turning sharply in front of them. It reminded Ashley of an old human movie made back in the twentieth century called Tron. The chase was begining to fill her with excitement. As she avoided another collision she called out to Joran, "Load up another harpoon, I'm coming around again!"

This time the maw disappeared under the sand before popping up again underneath the vehicle. The Tiger went skyward tossing Joran from the turret into the sand. Korik managed to stay in his seat as his massive weight didn't allow him to be thrown around easily. Ashley on the other hand had her head slam into the steering wheel when the Tiger nose dived back down.

A sharp feeling of fear shot up Joran's spine when he realized just how vunerable he was out in the sand. Quickly he scrambled to climb back onto the Tiger. He felt as though the maw was right behind him but once aboard; the maw was gone.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Korik in a rare moment of concern for his crew.

"Yeah, close call though," breathed Joran.

"I think so," mumbled Ashley as she got up from the driver's seat.

"Your head's bleeding," stated Korik plainly.

It was only then that Ashley noticed the thin trail of blood rolling down her forehead. Promptly she went to her bag to find a mirror so she could attend to the wound.

"Joran, get behind the wheel and get us moving," ordered Korik. The sand seemed eerily still now as though the maw had vanished.

"What now? Are we going back to the resort?" asked Ashley. The cut on her forehead was surprisingly small for the amount of blood it put out. A traditional bandage would do the trick.

"We'll stay out here tonight and see how long it takes for Joran's device to work," said Korik with an evil grin. He knew this maw was different. This was the kind of hunt every krogan dreamed of.

"Yeah but we could go back and get a bigger gun..." Ashley began to protest but could see it was no use. Korik wasn't going to budge on this.

Later that night the trio sat around Korik's table inside the Tiger's enclosed section. The maw hadn't been seen since that afternoon. They drove around the vast desert until the sun went down completely. With civilization miles away, total darkness filled the desert. The black sands sparkled and reflected the night sky giving the illusion that the vehicle was in the middle of space.

Meanwhile, Korik was busy scarfing down a slab of varren meat and guzzling ryncol. Joran helped himself to some sort of salad made up of greens native to the salarian homeworld. Ashley had to settle for a packet of Alliance rations. Varren wasn't a bad meal but after seeing the rotted corpse Korik pulled out earlier; she decided to pass.

The whole situation frustrated her. The mission was taking far longer than she expected. Now she was stuck with two aliens on a vehicle she couldn't leave or else suffer being eaten alive by a thresher maw. Sitting quietly, she prodded at the cut on her forehead.

"What are you worried about chiefy?" asked Korik nearly slurring his words. "It won't be permanent. You guys want to see something permanent? Joran, put your hand on the back of my head. Your feel that chipped bone? My own brother tried to jam a shiv into my brain. Such is life as a krogan."

"I think I can beat that..." said Joran smiling wide. He put his left leg up on the table removing the boot. All of his toes were missing along with a good chunk of his foot. "My first study in college was about wild varren. While watching a pack of varren, one of them snuck up on me and tried to rip my foot off."

"Looks like he almost did," laughed Korik.

Ashley could sense that they were going to ask her if she had any scars. Covertly she lifted her shirt partially revealing a barely visible pink blotchy scar. Talking about that mission wasn't something she wanted to do. It had been a total nightmare. So instead she shifted the attention back to Korik, "Hey, what's that scar on your arm?"

"Oh that?" Korik put his hand up on his right arm looking visibly uncomfortable with the subject. "It's just a stupid tatoo I had removed."

"Let me guess, is it your brood-mother?" Joran burst into laughter at his own joke.

Korik looked on with annoyance before explaining, "Joran, that's the colony insignia for Akuze."

Joran's jaw dropped. "You were on Akuze?"

"What happened? I thought no one survived," said Ashley sitting forward in her chair.

A smile tugged at Korik's mouth as he began to tell his story, "I was hired on as a mercenary by the Alliance to help find a missing colonial pioneer team. A frigate dropped fifty of us off planet side. We found the base but the team was gone. Dead probably. The distress beacon was never activated. That's when we realized it was a setup...

First thresher maw came at us within the hour. We bunched up into groups laying down suppressive fire trying to keep it distracted from attacking any one group. Sometimes the maw would go away, sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes that maw, looks right at you with that fluorescent mouth, like a flower. Almost seems beautiful... until he spits on ya. Then you hear that terrible high pitch screamin' as the victim gets melted down before getting swallowed whole. Shields and armor didn't account for anything at that point.

By the end of that first day we lost half of our squad. I don't know how many maws; maybe a dozen. Next morning I found another krogan merc, old battlemaster, Drekk, I thought he was asleep. I rolled him over to find that he had been spit on. Not much was left save for the shell of his armor and head. Well, on the third day the frigate swooped in to pick us up. By that time there were only me and another marine, Toombs I think. You know, that was the time I was most afraid, waiting for those maws to come back and finish us. I was paid and dropped off at the nearest station. Not sure what happened to that corporal..."

Korik's story chilled both Ashley and Joran. It wasn't going to be easy going to sleep that night. Especially with a large maw lurking somewhere out there in the darkness. After another hour of small talk they decided to go to bed. Korik took the couch while Joran made due with the table's bench seat. That's when Ashley realized she'd be sleeping on the floor.

"I've got some room on the couch here," chuckled Korik even though there was obviously no room for anyone. The couch was nearly buckling under his weight.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "No thanks."

Instead she went out to the back deck where she rolled out a mat. It wasn't much of an improvement over the hard deck but better than sleeping with a four hundred pound krogan.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Looks like maybe one or two more chapters to go. Please review. Ashley's scar is a reference to my other x-over Mass Aliens.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Korik and Joran worked on the Tiger's engine. Yesterday's excitement had caused sand to clog the air filters and gears. It was slow tedious work not to mention dangerous. At the moment they were sitting still on top of a dune hoping the maw wouldn't show up anytime soon.

Ashley kept watch by sitting on top of the turret. From there she had a pretty good view of the surrounding desert. A light wind blew her hair about while the sun burned her face. The glare made it difficult stare at the sand for any extended period of time. Mirages caused by the heat made sections of the sand look like an ocean. By now she wished to be somewhere cold like Noveria.

"Hey chief! Do you see anything?" bellowed Korik. He was diligently scraping sand from the engine block in the front.

"Nothing so far," answered Ashley.

Joran was under the vehicle taking a look at the axel shaft. In school he took a short class on basic vehicle repair. When studying in the wild, one must be prepared for anything. Although it didn't take a certificate to see what was wrong. The rear most axel was bent but still functioning. "I think we might have to go back to the resort."

"Why?" asked Korik coming around to see what Joran had found.

Joran came out from under the Tigar explaining, "That maw hit us from underneath. It bent our back axel. One more hit like that and we're stuck out here."

Ashley's ears perked up. Getting stuck meant dying. Out this far into the desert it would be days on foot to reach the resort. If heat exhaustion didn't kill them; the maw certainly would. "So are we heading back now?"

"No," said Korik firmly.

"Sticking it with one more hydrogen balloon should do the trick. But who knows when it'll come back," said Joran climbing back onto the Tiger.

"Actually I think I see it," mentioned Ashley standing up straight. A large figure could be seen in the distance that looked like a long finger in the sand.

"Ha, we got him. Joran, get behind the wheel and take us over there," ordered Korik.

The figure was a few miles away. As they got closer it became clear it was the thresher maw. It lay still without making any noise. Joran drove slowly along one side of it gawking at its sheer mass. Korik studied the monsterous worm feeling a little disappointed. He expected the maw to give them more of a fight.

"Is it dead?" asked Ashley while climbing down from the turret. She clutched her assault rifle closely as they came near the head.

"Possibly," muttered Korik. "The hydrogen must have poisoned his blood stream."

"Good. Let's go home now. I've got more important assignments to attend to," said Ashley.

"Wait a minute. I have to be sure," said Korik. Turning to Joran he ordered, "Stop alongside its head."

When the vehicle stopped they could see the maw's entire head which resembled a tropical flower. The petal like flaps that made up its mouth were closed. A light breathing noise eminated from the mouth. Korik tensed up studying the maw closely. Going into the cabin he grabbed his shotgun; a customized claymore. Turning to Ashley he said, "The maw has a weak spot behind the head. I'm going to put it down for good."

"Wait, you're not actually..." Ashley began to protest but he jumped over the side landing hard in the sand.

Korik approached the beast cautiously holding his shotgun at the ready. His weight made walking through the fine sand somewhat difficult as each step sunk about a foot into the ground. Trudging along up the mighty beast he grabbed hold of the maw's skin pulling himself up the side. This action caused the maw to stir a little but Korik was undeterred. All maws had a soft spot near the begining of their spine much like the temple on a human's skull.

"Just hold still you bastard," muttered Korik as he found the maw's weak spot. Pressing the claymore shotgun to the target Korik pulled the trigger. The explosive shot did a massive amount of damage ripping the maw's skin open exposing torn muscle and bone. However, the maw wasn't killed instantly as Korik expected. Instead it roared in pain and began to dive into the sand. Leaping from the maw's back Korik exclaimed, "Impossible!"

"Just get back here!" yelled Ashley anxious to get moving again.

Meanwhile, Joran was busy loading another hydrogen harpoon. "The damn fool has really pissed it off now."

"Shut your mouth salarian," barked Korik as he climbed back onto the Tiger.

Ashley turned around in time to see the thresher maw barreling through the sand heading straight for them. There was no time to react. She simply froze as the maw slammed into them sending the Tiger tumbling across a couple dunes. All three members were tossed in different directions some distance from the safety of the vehicle. The maw circled the area in a wide arc possibly assessing who to eat first.

For a moment Ashley stayed still as the thresher maw passed her by. The maw's large bone-like fins cut through the sand like water. The Tiger lay upside down about fifty yards away. She could see Korik was already at the vehicle trying to get inside. Hopefully it was like the Mako and had a mechanism for flipping it right side up. Joran could be seen a hundred yards away sprinting through the sand. He was filled with terror and panic. Salarians lived short lives as it is; to have it cut even shorter would be tragic. No longer did he care for thresher maws and he swore to give up the profession if he lived through this mess. However his prayers were not answered as the maw came up from under him swallowing the helpless salarian whole.

Seeing this, Ashley bolted for the Tiger. Korik had managed to activate a mass effect field which turned the massive vehicle over onto its wheels. After he climbed aboard he offered a hand to Ashley who was still sprinting across the hot sand. She jumped, grasping Korik's arm who then easily pulled her up and over the side.

"Joran's dead," breathed Ashley while getting to her feet.

"I know." Korik seemed completely indifferent to the news. "Get behind the wheel and we'll finish off this bastard."

"You're going to get us killed," blurted Ashley.

Korik snarled and stepped into Ashley looking directly into her eyes. Before he could say something threatening the thresher maw interrupted him with a mighty roar. They both turned to see the maw making another run at the Tiger. Ashley didn't stick around to argue. She darted over to the steering collumn putting the Tiger in gear. Korik manned the turret controls as Ashley barely cleared the vehicle of the maw's path.

"Try to get behind it so I can take another shot at the maw's soft spot," ordered Korik.

Ashley was having trouble shaking the maw much less getting behind it. Again the maw tried to ram the vehicle to knock it over. At every turn the maw would cut Ashley off or wrap it's body around the Tiger. The large wheels threw sand around wildly as Ashley made one sharp turn after another. The muscles in her forearms became sore as her nerves slowly unravelled. The roaring beast was determined to eat them and did not let up.

The motion and torque of the vehicle often threatened to throw Korik from his chair. He struggled to keep the turret aimed straight long enough to take a shot. For a moment his sights did line up. He fired the harpoon but to no avail as the maw moved at the last second. Furious, he yelled at Ashley, "Keep it steady damn you!"

"I CAN'T," shouted Ashley with surprising force.

She had barely avoided a spit attack by the thresher maw. Considering how battered the Tiger was she didn't trust in its shields to hold up against such a potent substance. Just as Ashley thought she could out maneuver the thresher, a sickening hissing noise arose from the back of the vehicle. A large amount of acid hit the rear melting down through the axel. Immediately the Tiger slid to a halt. The maw was no where to be seen.

Korik grabbed his claymore and went out to check the damage. Ashley stayed in the doorway nearly hyperventilating. "This is it. We're going to die out here."

"You might be right," muttered Korik staring down at the steaming hole which led straight down into the sand.

The maw attacked from below biting into the back end of the Tiger. It shook the vehicle violently; possibly trying to pull it down below the sand. Tipping the Tiger back at a steep angle caused Korik to lose his footing. Ashley lept forward grabbing his hand while keeping her other hand gripped on the doorway. The krogan weighed so much she found it impossible to hang on for long. After a momentary desperate struggle Korik slipped from Ashley's hand. He slid screaming into the maw's open mouth who then bit him in half. Due to the krogan redundant nervous system he lived for a few seconds longer as the maw feasted on his flesh. Shortly after the maw disappeared again.

Horrified by the ordeal, Ashley retreated further into the cabin. The Tiger was severely damaged and half buried in the sand. Needless to say, she wasn't going anywhere. Taking a deep breath she summoned her marine training and tried to stay calm. Ashley was determined to not go down without a fight.

At that moment the thresher maw slammed its head into the side of the Tiger's hull breaking through the weakened metal. The maw's large head couldn't fit through the hole leaving its prey just out of reach. Ashley screamed when the maw burst through the hull. Reacting quickly, she grabbed one of Joran's remaining hydrogen harpoons and began to stab the maw with the sharp end. On the fourth jab the barbed tip got stuck in the maw's mouth activating the hyrdogen bag. Screaming in agony, the maw retreated back below the sand. With the maw's absense more fine sand poured into the Tiger causing it to slip ever further into the ground.

Now that the cabin was no longer safe Ashley went out onto the back deck. Korik's claymore sat in a pool of his own blood nearby. She picked it up before climbing up on top of the turret to make her final stand. Ashley knew if she could shoot the hydrogen bag it would either catch the maw on fire or possibly blow it's head off. The only problem being that claymore's were very difficult for humans to fire without shattering their arms.

The thresher maw could be seen making a wide circle around the disabled vehicle. It's boney fins jutted out from the sand giving the maw a menacing appeal. Without warning those fins changed direction and headed straight for Ashley.

Holding the claymore tight to her shoulder Ashley prepared to fire the large shotgun. When the maw's head came within fifty yards she fired. The spread shot kicked up a lot of sand but no luck. Her shoulder went numb as well. She let off a second shot when the maw reached thirty yards with no result. A sharp pain filled her arm but she managed to hold on. The maw burst up from the ground ready to devour Ashley. Holding up the claymore, Ashley took aim muttering, "You must die!"

The final shot hit its mark causing the hydrogen to ignite and blow the thresher maw's head off. Chunks of thresher meat and blood rained down all around the desert as Ashley cheered. When the dust settled Ashley realized that she had no way back to the hotel. Not to mention her shoulder was most likely dislocated as well as her collar bone being broken. For the rest of the day and that night she lay there in agony unsure of what fate awaited her.

In the morning a civilian shuttle flew by surveying the landscape. Nyala had sent the ship out to get a report on their progress. The pilot spotted the large snake like maw laying dead in the sand. Next to sat the wreckage of Korik's Tiger with Ashley laying helplessly on top. They landed to pick her up and were amazed that she even survived. The mission was finally over. Despite many invitations to celebrate the hotel's reopening, Ashley wanted nothing more than to get back to the Citadel. Hopefully Udina didn't have another assignment waiting for her.

A/N: If this chapter feels rushed that's because it was. I wanted to finish up so I could get to work on a true Mass Aliens sequal. I was tempted to stick with the original line 'smile you son of a bitch' but I figured I'd wrap it up with a ME1 classic quote. Hope you enjoyed the story.


End file.
